The Best of Gene Wolfe. by Gene Wolfe. 2009
The Best of Gene Wolfe
Rated 90% Positive. Story Score 4.00
31 Stories : 7 great / 19 good / 4 average / 0 poor / 1 DNF
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“Wolfe is our Melville.”—Ursula K. Le Guin
“Gene Wolfe is as good a writer as there is today...I feel a little bit like a musical contemporary attempting to tell people what's good about Mozart.”—The Chicago Sun-Times
Gene Wolfe is one of those writers who can easily be considered at the highest levels of American literature and yet still mostly unknown. He is ignored by the literary elites who still sneer at the Science Fiction writer who likes to be called a Science Fiction writer. The science fiction community neglects him because his fiction is unabashedly literary, difficult, complicated, sophisticated, and frequently opaque.
His reputation is justly centered around The Book of the New Sun, a four (or maybe five) volume novel of Urth’s far future. The Baroque prose, brilliant storytelling, and complex ideas are still inspiring fans and arguments in 2021.
It is easy to forget that - as is the case of many SF writers - Gene Wolfe’s short fiction built his reputation and gave a generation of editors the faith to follow his wild imagination to the ends of the universe.
Every story in this collection - except maybe one - is well worth reading … and many are among the greatest science fiction anyone has ever written.
The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories (1970). This begins with one of the most beautiful opening lines in fiction and ends with a paragraph that will haunt you. In between is the tale of a young man taking refuge from a difficult life within the pages of pulp science fiction.
The Fifth Head of Cerberus • (1972). One of the greatest science fiction stories ever written. A young boy matures in a house of ill repute, surrounded by strange clones, robots, and is experimented on by his father. Dickensian SF at its finest. This story was expanded to a ‘fix-up’ novel, but the story is perfect as it is.
The Death of Dr. Island • (1973). A young man with mental problems is thrust into a strange environment of a beach paradise run by Dr. Island, who may have inscrutable motives. Brutal, intense, fantastic, and important to consider for its implications.
Forlesen • (1974). A man wakes, goes to work, and comes home in this Kafkaesque tale of corporate (hell?). People still are debating the meaning of the final moments of this story.
The Hero As Werwolf • (1975). In a world of eco-collapse, Humans prey on Masters from the shadows, but do they retain any of their former lives? Rarely has a writer created such in a rich future society with more economy of words. Your assumptions from the title will not help you.
Seven American Nights • (1978). A Persian man spends a week as a tourist in a future Washington D.C. devastated by its own biological inventions. Deeply detailed with rich prose and the real story submerged behind the words. This is another story that is so compelling on the surface and yet will reward a lifetime of rereads.
Petting Zoo • (1997). Charming and cuttingly sharp at the same time. Robots teach students about a dinosaur in a zoo, while man who rode the dinosaur as a child looks on. It reads like a beautiful Ray Bradbury story until Wolfe shows you the reality of this world.
The Best of Gene Wolfe is rated 90%
31 Stories : 7 great / 19 good / 4 average / 0 poor / 1 DNF
How do I arrive at a rating?
The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories (1970)
Great. A young boy in a troubled family situation finds solace in a pulp science fiction novel.
The Toy Theater • (1971)
Good. An aspiring puppet performer travels to a new planet to meet with a master.
The Fifth Head of Cerberus • [The Fifth Head of Cerberus] • (1972)
Great. One of the greatest science fiction stories ever written. A young boy matures in a house of ill repute, surrounded by strange clones, robots, and is experimented on by his father.
Beech Hill • (1972)
Average. A man travels to a situation once a year to plan at actualizing his fantasies.
The Recording • (1972)
Good. A young boy has a tragic moment (and maybe life) because he wants. a gift of a record.
Hour of Trust • (1973)
Good. The very wealthy get together to witness a battle between the military and religious hippy rebels in Detroit.
The Death of Dr. Island • (1973)
Great. A young man with mental problems is thrust into a strange environment of a beach paradise run by Dr. Island, who may have inscrutable motives.
La Befana • (1973)
Good. On an alien planet, the issue of Jesus’ role in their salvation is discussed.
Forlesen • (1974) • novelette by Gene Wolfe
Great. A man wakes, goes to work, and comes home in this Kafkaesque tale of corporate (hell?)
Westwind • (1973) • short story by Gene Wolfe
Good. Two travelers get a room out of the rain and discuss the fabled Westwind who reports to the leader about everything that is happening.
The Hero As Werwolf • (1975) • short story by Gene Wolfe
Great. In a world of eco-collapse, human prey on masters from the shadows, but do they retain any of their former lives
The Marvelous Brass Chessplaying Automaton • (1977) • novelette by Gene Wolfe
Good. In a world of the post-war future - and yet it feels like the medieval pass - a charlatan brings a chess-playing machine into a community.
Straw • (1975) • short story by Gene Wolfe
Average. Hot air balloons in the Dark Ages.
The Eyeflash Miracles • (1976) • novella by Gene Wolfe
DNF. A blind child in a strange retelling of The Wizard of Oz. Couldn’t get through this.
Seven American Nights • (1978) • novella by Gene Wolfe
Great. A Persian man spends a week as a tourist in a future Washington D.C. devastated by its own biological inventions. Deeply detailed with rich prose and the real story submerged behind the words.
The Detective of Dreams • (1980) • short story by Gene Wolfe
Good. A French detective is sent to Germany to investigate strange dreams in this Christian allegory.
Kevin Malone • (1980) • short story by Gene Wolfe
Good. A bit of horror with a husband and wife who get the opportunity of living in luxury on an estate.
The God and His Man • (1980) • short story by Gene Wolfe
Good. A short SF allegory about different ways that human being can live, seen through the eyes on a man sent by a god (alien".)
On the Train • (1983) • short fiction by Gene Wolfe
Average. An opaque (to me) allegorical story about life and a train.
From the Desk of Gilmer C. Merton • (1983) • short story by Gene Wolfe
Good. Funny epistolary horror story about fantasy and SF writers and their editors.
Death of the Island Doctor • (1983) • short story by Gene Wolfe
Good. An absolute masterpiece of gentle fantasy featuring a professor of islands and the only two students who take his class.
Redbeard • (1984) • short story by Gene Wolfe
Good. A horror story about the former inhabitants of an abandoned house. Deals with issues of trauma legacy and false blame.
The Boy Who Hooked the Sun • (1985) • short story by Gene Wolfe
Good. A pleasant fable about a boy who literally hooked the sun and the lengths that others would go to make him set it free.
Parkroads—A Review • (1987) • short fiction by Gene Wolfe
Good. A story story as a movie review of a movie that never existed.
Game in the Pope's Head • (1988) • short story by Gene Wolfe
Good. Four people play various games in this bit of surrealist horror with strong references to Lord Dunsany.
And When They Appear • (1993) • novelette by Gene Wolfe
Good. Various symbols of Christmas appear as hollograms to a young man, but subtle clues point to a horror story in the background.
Bed and Breakfast • (1996) • short fiction by Gene Wolfe
Good. In a B&B near Hell, a woman on the run and a man with no name cross paths.
Petting Zoo • (1997) • short story by Gene Wolfe
Great. Charming and cuttingly sharp at the same time. Robots teach students about a dinosaur in a zoo, while man who rode the dinosaur as a child looks on.
The Tree Is My Hat • (1999) • novelette by Gene Wolfe
Good. An atmospheric tale of an ill man, a shark god, and a tropical island.
Has Anybody Seen Junie Moon? • (1999) • short story by Gene Wolfe
Average. A strong man searches for his missing lover who was investigating a strange moon.
A Cabin on the Coast • (1984) • short story by Gene Wolfe
Good. A politicians son takes his lover to the beach. She disappears, assumed drowned, but he believes a strange ghost ship is responsible.
